MovieChat Forums > Thank You for Smoking (2006) Discussion > Smokers Vs. Anti-Smokers

Smokers Vs. Anti-Smokers

posted 16 years ago by KroW613
90 replies | jump to latest

Alright, I need everyone from every perspective on this situation about smoking here. It seems to be getting ridiculously out of hand as just about every post on this board is generally the same thing: A debate about smoking.
I'd like to start by saying that the smokers number one enemy in the smoking bans isn't the government, it's the anti-smokers (much different from non-smokers.)

An anti-smoker I've run into a couple times at my community college courtyard before the college decided to give in to the ridiculous "smoke-free environment" fiasco. These are the people that walk right by a huge smoker's circle and start fake coughing or shouting things like "you're ruining everyone else health!" but they never seem to have the time to talk about it reasonably for a minute.

Another thing that I'm pretty angry about is the "smoke-free zone" crap. Alright, you don't want me smoking in your building (mainly due to LAW), but when I'm out side, where my evil second hand smoke dissipates quicker than you have the chance of running into contact with it, I'm still told I can't even smoke out doors, or I have to walk half a mile to get to the sidewalk. And I can't walk too well because of a very bad knee injury.

One thing I want to point out as well is the amount of "quit smoking" commercials I see on T.V. all the time. It's getting ridiculous now. Too many of them. I can't speak for everyone, but I know full well the vast majority of smokers aren't stupid enough to say "smoking isn't bad for your health." I'm a smoker, and I know it's a risk. But that doesn't mean I have to be treated like an idiot and watch these commercials constantly telling me I have to quit, when I don't want to. If a smoker wants to quit, I'm sure they know the process to go through without having to be given 50 phone numbers on t.v.

I live in New York, upstate Rochester/Buffalo/Syracuse area. New York State passed a smoking ban law in the early 2000s. I hadn't even thought about smoking yet and I remember thinking "Oh great, another infringement on people's rights." And that's exactly what this is. Cigarettes are a legal, store bought product. The smoking ban here serves NO purpose. Before, people had the right to choose between smoking, and not smoking. But after the anti-smoking-nazis rolled in, they're constantly barraging everyone with the "evils" of smoking, which is exactly what the tobacco companies used to do to get people to start smoking. (Another quit smoking commercial just come on by the way. Just pointing it out.)

Banning smoking from bars is the dumbest thing a legal system can do. Every bar I pass by now usually has about half the patrons standing outside throughout the night at any given moment. Probably even more than half. This is completely unnecessary.

Restaurants? I think that's debatable. I never heard anybody complain about smoke until this whole anti-smoking fascism ramped up, then it seemed like everyone was a whiner. Michigan allows smoking in restaurants and nobody ever seems to complain.

This anti-smoking garbage has to stop. It's getting a little out of hand.
The biggest ignorant excuse I hear that makes me very angry is when I hear an anti-smoker claim that second hand smoke is so horrid for people's health (usually talking about their own.) OK, lets put this into some perspective here. Walking by a smoker and inhaling just a portion of unfiltered smoke from the tip of the cigarette is not going to give you cancer and kill you, so stop acting like it will. You have a greater risk of getting hit by a bus and killed than getting cancer from passing by a smoker.

If you work in or around people who smoke cigarettes all the time and are constantly surrounded by smoke, I can understand the much higher risk, and the complaining. BUT, what happens at that point should be up to the manager/owner of the business, not the legal system.

Bottom line for me is this: for one, the legal system has no constitutional right to regulate what private businesses customers do in their building. So the legal smoking ban has to be eliminated. For two, if anti-smokers want what they want, and smokers want to smoke a damn cigarette every once in a while in a restaurant, then how about letting there be a bar for choice, and a bar for non-smoking. Because all I've seen since the anti-smoking nazism has started has been the appeasement of all the anti-smokers, while the smokers have to freeze outside in the cold like animals.

I know this was a long post, but these feelings have been building with me for a few years and I thought this would be a good forum to start so we can talk about our views and the other posts can get on with talking about the movie itself.

I'd like this to be a place we can all speak openly and freely, as I did above.
I hope this ends up going somewhere.
"The rest of the world is involved."
"I don't care about the rest of the world."

[–] philipdsj 16 years ago

Im a non-smoker (Allright Ive smoked some pot sometimes)

I live an abnormal heatly life with heatlhy food and exercise. But I still think that the witch-hunt for smokers has gone out of hands.

banning smoking on aircraft was great, because non-smokers cant escape the smoke.

But having to walk 17 miles from your office to get a smoke, is redicolus. What about people who stuff the mself with junk food? They allways complain about smokers killing their babies, but they feed them with McD and Pizza :O

[–] Maserati7777 16 years ago

Michigan allows smoking in restaurants and nobody ever seems to complain

Hopefully that won't be much longer.

I am a Non-Smoker and an Anti-Smoker. I've never tried smoking though I was around second hand smoke during my childhood. My father smokes and my grandmother smoked before she died.
My father is currently in NC, I'm in MI, and due to fact there's no smoke around here anymore I couldn't be happier.

I believe cigarettes are a scam. They make them addictive to literally steal your money. They are the second biggest legal killer after Death row.

It makes me gag to even look at a smoker smoking. Kissing a smoker is like licking an ashtray. I go out of my way to walk around a person smoking outside of a store usually going out into the street.

The Assassination of Brad Pitt's Career by the Coward Angelina Jolie?
Maserati777

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Maserati7777 16 years ago

You're right, the fact I live in Michigan means I don't live in Michigan.

Kris Allen America's next Ruben Studdard!
Maserati777

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] stanleygoodspeed99 16 years ago

I would put myself down as an anti-smoker. having said that, if the owner of a restaurant wants to make a restaurant smoking, he should be able to do it if he wants, I just wont go there. Everyone wins, he doesnt want my business and I dont want his smoke.

That being said, I dig the no smoking in clubs now. Its awesome to wake up the next morning and not cough up a lung because you were forced to breathe in other peoples tar all night and your clothes dont smell like you rolled through an ashtray either.

Smoke free zone is a good thing. most smokers dont realise it bothers people who dont smoke when their smoke blows all over some else in the wind. It doesnt disapate as fast as you think it does, sometimes its like you stood in front of me and blew it in my face. I dont think to myself "oh im getting cancer" or anything like that when some thoughtless smoker stands up wind of me and makes me breathe it in, I just think "I dont like the smell or taste of that, thats irritating". Just like I wouldnt stand in your personal space and talk on my mobile phone. I think thats rude too and I think its the same thing. What you dont realise is if youre smoking near to me, the smoke invades my personal space.

and you need to get over the anti smoking campaigns. they are here to stay. you dont seem to realise that they are there because if you smoke there is a 98% chance you will die of a horrible illness or develop some sort of stroke induced parallesis, but maybe you do and smoke anyway and if you do, there are still a whole population of high school kids and current smokers that still need to be reminded of these facts.

But you should be able to smoke in your own house. and if you want to start a smoking restaurant, you should be able to do that too, Id even say it would be a draw card because anyone who wanted to smoke while they ate would go to you. And you are probably right about the non-smoking and smoking bars, they probably should exist too.

you cant have non-smoking and smoking public areas though. And smokers generally dont realise or care that their smoke bothers other people around them. then they throw the butt on the floor like its just going to disappear and dont realise someone else has to clean it up or its going to just wash away into water system and pollute whereever it washes up, you need smoke free zones, so we can get away from you guys sometimes, because if your smoking it next to me, I might as well be smoking it too. So if your against people forcing non-smoking down your throat, think of the non-smokers who have some ignorant fool standing next to them forcing their smoke down their throat and I think youll agree thats unfair too.

"I am Jack's cold sweat."

[–] mixmasterspike 16 years ago

my whole life i have been treated like crap because; my mom smoked, i hung out with people who smoked, and finaly because I smoke. People have treated me like a freak, how am i supposed to react to that? tell my mom i don't love her, tell my friends to bugger off? I mean for cryin out loud I once went outside to smoke a cigar with some friends (we werent allowed to smoke inside where we were staying. Fine by me.) but about an hour later some one passes by my room (we had the door open) and comes back a minute later with spray and procedes to douse my enterance with flowery smelling spray that gave me a headache. That was just plain rude I don't care what you think about the smell.

I just want to point out that smokers have NO choice as to whether we have to put up with the constant judging eyes and TV ads not to mention all of the anti-smoking laws that get passed regularly. Whereas anti-smokers get pretty much whatever they ask for (in my state anyway). All i'm saying is that there needs to be some kind of peace between the two groups, a balance if you will. anyway thats just my opinion.

[–] Maserati7777 16 years ago

I don't want to die from second hand smoke, so if I have to step out into the street to pass someone who is smoking, fine by me.

My dad smokes and I usually have my shirt up over my nose like a mask. Luckly he's been in NC working so I haven't been around smoking for a while now.

Kris Allen America's next Ruben Studdard!
Maserati777

[–] KroW613 16 years ago

98% chance? Where did that figure come from? I seriously want to know. I've looked into smoking and the health risks quite a bit and I've never seen anything so conclusive. The only time I've seen figures like that are from doctors and scientists who were paid by anti-smoking campaigns to come up with fake numbers.
Might have been the EPA report from around 1990 that was rejected by the supreme court because the results were discovered to all be swayed to make it seem worse than it truly was. Which is the same report basically everyone uses as their argument against smoking.
98% chance...Wow, and all the people I know of that have been smoking for years must make a pretty big 2%. Even my relatives that smoked for years and years then quit cold turkey in their 80s (pretty long life span for a smoker) never had developed any health problems. And they're not the only ones.
As for the smell of smoke...Deal with it. We all have freedoms. Mine is the ability to smoke a legally store bought tax payed (ridiculous tax hike at that) cigarette outside or wherever the private business permits. Your freedom is to walk away from my smoke. And seriously, you act like it's the worst thing to smell in existence. Besides, out of the 24 hours of the day, you smell it for all of what, 10 minutes? And you can't just put up with a few minutes of the smell? Cause it's just that bad? Cause your imposition, your desire to smell nothing but totally smokeless air overrules my right to smoke? What makes you so high and mighty? Where is the line drawn here?
I don't care who my smoke bothers because everyone I smoke around avoids it by standing away from where the wind throws it. Or I hold my cigarette away from their general direction. Both parties can be happy with these simple solutions.
As for cigarette filters, I don't see anything to bitch about, because the way I see it, nature was being slowly decimated by us long before filters came along. If any of us truly cared about the environment, we wouldn't have had plowed over a good chunk of the land to pave in parking lots.
Sorry for the lengthy post. If you stuck with the whole thing, then I appreciate your patience.

"The rest of the world is involved."
"I don't care about the rest of the world."

[–] stanleygoodspeed99 16 years ago

yeah to be fair, the 98% was what I have been led to believe, I can't back that figure up it was totally arbortrary. its still not good for you though and if you dont quit there is a good chance it WILL be the thing that kills you.

and you mention we all have freedoms, mine is to be free of some rude person standing smoking next to me blowing their smoke all over me. im not high and mighty, im just saying it doesnt sound like you are thinking about anyone other than yourself and if you are doing something that looks like (and apparently is) annoying someone else, the decent thing to do is do it where your not bothering anybody.

and dont use the "noone else cares about the environment so I dont have to either" argument, again that just shows your selfishness and that your lazy. You cant use the actions/inaction of other people as an excuse. thats like standing with three other people who are shouting racist slurs at someone and shouting them too because "everyone else was doing it" and using that as an excuse.

"I am Jack's cold sweat."

[–] KroW613 16 years ago

I'm not saying there aren't rude smokers out there that really don't care where their smoke goes. Personally, I'm one of the types where if I can plainly see that it really is causing you some issue (other than just smell, something more legitimate than that), I'll move my cigarette or find some way to keep it from heading in your general direction. I'm talking about out door environments right now. As for indoor, well again I stick with what I said about a business choosing for itself. Anyway, outdoors, there really isn't much room to complain.

By the way, the thing about the percentages. I learned over some time that percentages as well as statistics are very unreliable. People just like to see them and they make for good debating material over certain things. For instance, lets say I told you that if you started smoking, your risk for tuberculosis or any other type of respiratory health issue would increase by...75%. Sounds pretty extreme. But what if afterward I told you that if you didn't smoke, your chances of obtaining a respiratory health issue were 1 in 100,000. And after you started smoking, your chances are 1 in 25,000. 75% sounds much more frightening than 1 in 25,000. That's essentially what every anti-smoking company does in order to make smoking out to be so much worse than what it really is. I think the numbers for second hand smoke (without exposure) is 1 in 100,000 and (with exposure, and I mean years of daily exposure) 1 in 85,000. So your chances of getting lung cancer from being exposed to second hand smoke all day every day increases by 15%! 15% sounds devastating! Anyway, you get the point.

I'm not trying to use that "nobody cares, why should I?" argument, I was just trying to establish a point that with all the enormous ways the human race does pollute and destroy or pave over, cigarette butts really aren't that bad or important. They may not be biodegradable, but over a long enough period of time, they do eventually end up degraded. Again, personally, I prefer to use trash cans and ash trays.
And once again, I appreciate the patience.
"The rest of the world is involved."
"I don't care about the rest of the world."

[–] Spaggett 16 years ago

No dude, you're retarded. FACT: 50% of people who smoke develop an illness related to smoking. If you don't like our smoke than shut up and move, you make it sound like we pay 7 dollars a pack just so we can harass people who are bothered by smoking. You need stop being such a bitch.

[–] stanleygoodspeed99 16 years ago

get over yourself chump. you make me sound like I run up to smokers everytime they light up and tell them how offended I am. someone asked, so I told them. And god knows where you pulled your "fact" from.

one thing i seem to notice about you guys is that you dont care if what your doing bothers people, all you care about is looking after yourself. its not that hard to consider other people before you light up. maybe you need to consider other people sometimes rather than just thinking about yourselves.

I apologise if you are a smoker and you do try not to bother other people with it. that rant was not meant for you.

"I am Jack's cold sweat."

[–] jdownsyou 16 years ago

Where are you guys getting these 98% and 50% figures from? I'd imagine the percent of smokers who are effected by an illness caused by the smoking is closer to 10%. Smoking can cause increased health risk from 7 to 10 times the risk of a non-smoker. But a non-smoker has a miniscule chance of getting those illnesses to begin with. Remember, there are 44 MILLION smokers in the United States right now. No where near half of them are dying or will die due to smoking related illnesses. Here's a good website to check out.

http://tcrb.cancer.gov/tcrb/smokersrisk/charts/

The worst case scenario of starting smoking in your early teens and smoking 2 or more packs of cigarettes a day your entire life will give you a 20% chance of getting lung cancer at the age of 75. That's the worse case scenario. Half a pack a day is down to 10% and I think even those numbers are exaggerated.

[–] stanleygoodspeed99 16 years ago

sorry, my 98% was absolutely arbitrary (which I stated earlier when quizzed on it). I didnt mean anyone to take that percentage as fact, I really just tried to use it interchangably with the words 'very high percentage'.

here are some figures from the surgeon general in the US-

Smoking causes more than $193 billion each year in health-related costs, including the cost of lost productivity caused by deaths from smoking.
Smoking-related medical costs averaged more than $97 billion each year between 2000 and 2004. This translates to $2,197 in extra medical expenses for each adult smoker per year as of 2004.
Death-related productivity losses from smoking among workers cost the US economy more than $96 billion yearly (average for 2000-2004).
For each pack of cigarettes sold or given away in 2004, $5.34 was spent on medical care caused by smoking, and $5.28 lost in productivity, for a total cost to society of $10.62 per pack.

Now Im not going to weigh in for or against lost productivity, because you could probably argue that if you give good workers who are smokers more smoke breaks, they are more likely to work harder for you and make you more money, just as much as you could argue that people going out for 15 smoke breaks in a day are costing you money.

But by my calcs, that means that each smoker costs the tax payer (on average of course, not specifically each smoker) $2,204.54 extra in medical expenses based on the 44mil figure you provided earlier, which is slightly higher than the cost the surgeon general quoted.

Now, if were to presume that the average medical costs for a smoker with cancer went to $100K (conservative estimate, realistically could be more or less, some people might only spend 2 or 3K at the doctor for a chest infection or something, some people may spend $250K or more on chemo etc...) that would mean that 970,000 people were suffering from a smoking related illness they are seeking treatment for.

970/44000 = 2.2%

And that is not a mortality rate, it is an illness rate. Some people will be very sick from smoking but never die.

So on that basis... it appears the 98% I have come up with was the wrong side of the argument. Interesting.

"I am Jack's cold sweat."

[–] raptorshogun 16 years ago

Cigarettes killed my dad when he was only 51. He quit smoking years before and got cancer anyway. So *beep* you. As for smoking bans, I guess dumbasses have the right to waste their money and screw up their lungs if they want to, but I don't want to smell that crap. If you're outside and not right next to the door of a building, then fine. If you're in a restaurant that has a smoking section, sure. Otherwise I'll stub it out on your goddamn eyeball.

[–] jdownsyou 16 years ago

In response to damnumalone, I appriciate you taking the time to actually look up studies/statistics. That's a rare occurance. I am familiar with the studies on the financial burden of smokers. The problem is most of those studies are done with a conclusion already in mind. I can find a study that says the exact opposite, here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30092491/

Where the studies show that because smokers have shorter life spans and because most health care costs are accumulated in the later years of one's life, that smokers don't cost more than non-smokers. Basically if you break down costs of a smoker and non smoker by dollars per year of living, smokers cost less. So looking at the studies, which should you believe? Personally, I'll await more research.

[–] KroW613 16 years ago

You're more likely to get cancer after quitting, since the cells in your lungs are in the process of healing and cancerous cells could much easier develop. Maybe he shouldn't have quit.
The vast majority of lung cancer is genetic. Cigarettes just make it easier to obtain. Especially by smoking a lot for many years then quitting.
Again with the smell thing. For one, it's really not that bad, and for two, it is FAR from the worst thing you've ever smelled. Besides...there's a LOT of smokers in the world. You're going to run into it from time to time. Get used to the smell, otherwise, you'll be living in a constant state of anger because you think the smoke smells like crap. Maybe juicy burrito farts should be banned too. They smell like crap. Much worse than cigarette smoke.

"The rest of the world is involved."
"I don't care about the rest of the world."

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] AloysiusWeasley 16 years ago

Brilliant post, just brilliant. I really couldn't have said it any better, and hats off to you. What really struck me was this:

"Because all I've seen since the anti-smoking nazism has started has been the appeasement of all the anti-smokers, while the smokers have to freeze outside in the cold like animals."

I've said the exact same thing myself. And as for the people saying "Oh, go outside, go outsiiiide! *whines*", I guess they haven't tried smoking when they go to a club and having to go outside in a NY blizzard in hot pants and a tank top. That's inhuman, and utterly ridiculous when everyone knows that smoking and drinking go pretty well-in-hand. I know plenty of non-smokers that only smoke when they drink.

As for the anti-smokers, they're just another bunch of people that should be cleansed, along with the Fundies from every religion, PETA nuts, Pro-Life fanatics, etc. The world really would be a better place without that sort of rabid intolerance.

[–] morpheus27 16 years ago

Amen to that Aloysius !
*Going out for a smoke*

"I care so less i almost passed out"

[–] The_Goodfellah 16 years ago

that sort of rabid intolerance will get increasingly stronger and larger. It seems a natural thing to promote humanitarianism along with a period of peace.

Until the day war will touch our countries and people will start smoking , drinking and thinking straightly again. If war is useful for one thing is maybe that it makes people not believing they're gods that they have everything under control , focusing lifes on simple things , which is the way it should really be. Natural disasters , illinesses and such have roughly the same effects on people.

It's kinda weird that the less we have problems the more we become arrogant and ignorant.

Nothing is more beautiful than nothing.
Having socks in your mouth doesn't make you a good actor.

[–] nicknackolous 15 years ago

As a non-smoker I don't really have a problem with smokers. People are required to smoke outdoors (and I think that's how it should be). Why should I have to inhale smoke from someone who chooses to smoke when I choose not to? I'm not one of those people who would crucify every smoker if I could. I think the smoking industry is a very necessary contributor to tax revenues.

[–] KroW613 15 years ago

Wow, I am really surprised this post has been working out so well. I'm thrilled to see such an interesting and compelling debate going on here.
I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but the tax on cigarettes in my area has gone up since the original post. A pack of Salem just a year ago, maybe a couple months more cost me 4.35 a pack at the CVS. At the same CVS today, it costs me 7.61. Another dollar more and it will be double the amount in just a year.

So it seems obvious to me that the New York government has been trying pretty hard to force people to quit because they can no longer afford the outrageous tax.

The taxes on tobacco going into the reservations have gone up, so a carton of Seneca now cost 20-25 bucks wherein about a year ago, it cost only about 10 bucks.
So not only have politicians become thief's, they're now taxing the crap out of tobacco BEFORE the native reservations get it, making them jack up their prices.
(By the way, 7-11 went from about 5.25 to 8.50 per pack).

But I guess the smokers in the US won't have to worry since a bill was passed that makes ALL tobacco regulated by the FDA. Not sure if anyone heard about that either, but its true. So now the feds regulate our tobacco.

I get a feeling that things are going to get interesting over the next year or two. Input anyone?

"The rest of the world is involved."
"I don't care about the rest of the world."

[–] jdownsyou 15 years ago

Internet and black market sales of cigarettes will increase, tax revenues from cigarettes will decrease and the tobacco prohibition will end. Won't be anytime soon, but it'll happen.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jdownsyou 15 years ago

Than I suppose you don't drive a car or use a lawn mower. I appriciate you not polluting our lungs.

[–] KroW613 15 years ago

You and the person you quoted are both completely selfish, intolerant jackasses. Before the early 1990s when that EPA report came out, nobody was really complaining. Now all the sudden it's OH NO, CIGARETTE SMOKE IS SOOO EVIL!!!@#)$ I simply CANNOT stand for it!
Bottom line in all this is: The government (neither state nor federal) has any constitutional right to force private businesses to do anything that they think (Key word: think) MIGHT just be dangerous to people's health, with absolutely no true hard evidence to back it up. That's like if you owned a house and there was basically a huge rumor going around that televisions MIGHT give people brain tumors, but there's no evidence of any kind, it's just a feeling they get. So they ban and TAKE your television from you, or make you go to some public place where you're forced to use a "safe" television. All because of hearsay.
Do you realize how ridiculous you and those like you sound?

Once you figure out what a joke everything is, being the Comedian's the only thing makes sense

[–] Stormyv120 15 years ago

They banned smoking indoors in NYC and there aren't any bars left, it's like a ghost town there. Sad.

[–] nightmare111 15 years ago

Well put it this way, some pubs could get a smoke license and everybody is allowed to smoke in any area of it and non smokers have to deal with it, or non smokers bars where everybody isnt allowed to smoke.
Personally i prefer non smoking bars, cigars are the biggest scam around,the governement profit alot of taxes from it but then loses also alot in medical care.
People start to smoke to look cool and to be accepted by the group, i already have tried when i was a kid bbut never got attached to it.
In conclusion stay away from it, and those who say cigars dont kill and so on may be working for the evil company described in the movie.
SAND IN THE EYES!

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] gabby_bm 14 years ago

The anti-smokers are a vocal group, but so is any other group that's passionate. They are not the true enemy of smokers. Follow the money. The real anti-smoking lobbyists are the insurance companies who would rather not pay for medical care for the smokers they insure- and the non-smokers they insure.

Not to worry- meat, caffeine and SUV's are on the hit-list too.

I think I shall never pee on life as lovely as a tree

[–] Bookwurm 14 years ago

I'm not sure if I would classify myself as an anti-smoker but I am a non-smoker. I've noticed most of the anti-smokers on this board don't care so much about the health risk of second-hand smoke but about the discomfort of breathing in smoke. Really, your health is your own issue.

I hate it when people smoke around me because I battle to breathe, my nose itches like crazy and starts dripping, and sometimes I sneeze a lot. You try carry on a conversation with a group of people when you're literally gasping for breath and scratching your nose til it bleeds (I'm not exaggerating. I get nosebleeds from rubbing my nose too violently). My parents know this perfectly well but don't care. My mom will light up while I'm in the room and then be upset when I walk out on her in mid-conversation. I've told her I don't want to be around when she smokes and she chooses cigarettes over her own daughter. My father only smokes cigars occassionally but the smoke always seems to blow in my face, even if I move seats. He doesn't care enough to deliberately blow in another direction, he just blows in front of him where other people are sitting. I've noticed others who don't care where there smoke is going and how it's affecting others. Then again, I've met quite a few smokers who ask if the smoke is bothering me and if they should move. A lot of smokers on this board have said that they hate people who walk by and give a fake cough. Have you ever considered that some of those people aren't faking? Most people assume that I'm hamming up my reaction to smoke but I just happen to be particularly sensitive.

Having said that, I have no problem with smokers' rooms or areas. If the smoke isn't in my area I don't care about it. In my country we still have smoking areas in some restaurants. I've only met one person who smoked so heavily that the smoke clung to her thick enough to make you choke. On most people, I can't smell it or it doesn't bother me if I can. It's just a thick billow of smoke clogging up my throat that I object to. I have the same objections to cars that have exhaust pipes emmitting black clouds of smoke. I don't want to breathe that in either.